Introducing Skrillex: Deadmau5’s ‘Little Goblin’

If you’re a big EDM fan and you haven’t yet heard of Skrillex, you may want to listen up. The LA native has rapidly taken the electronica world by storm, earning praise from peers and fans alike.

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“He’s taking over,” [artist id=”2539409″]Deadmau5[/artist] told MTV News in a recent interview. “I think he’s going to outdo me. I think he’s going to be the first artist on Beatport to eat my lunch and take over the top 10. I don’t think anyone in Beatport history has ever done it, but if he does it, I’ll be so proud of him, the little goblin!”

While he didn’t quite capture all 10 spots, Skrillex did, at one point, own an impressive eight of the 10 — no small feat for a guy who until 2007 was more commonly known as Sonny Moore, frontman of post-hardcore/emo band From First to Last.

“Throughout my years in From First to Last, I was always dabbling and making electronic music on my own time,” he told MTV News. “The first records I ever owned were crossover electronic rock, like Prodigy, Marilyn Manson and Nine Inch Nails.

A lifelong fan of electronic music, his style slowly morphed into a dubstep-progressively-housey-hardcore hybrid that many, including the man himself, find difficult to actually peg.

“I kind of want to do whatever I want to do and what I’m feeling,” he said. “I never set out to be part of a genre, because I listen to all types of music.”

Before joining the Mau5trap label, Moore had been signed to both Atlantic and Interscope records to produce a variety of dance remixes for some of the biggest names in the business, including Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars.

Since then, under the Skrillex moniker, he has released two EPs in less than 6 months. The first, “My Name is Skrillex,” was released in June as a free seven-track download. A short time later, the “Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites” EP was released, and it dominated the charts.

Skril has even begun production on a music video for the title track, which he said will be centered around “3-D and CGI battles between ‘Scary Monsters’ and ‘Nice Sprites’ ” — something that in his post-hardcore days, may have been only a dream.

“I want to continue to constantly put out great music, expand further and further with the live show and music that is attracting music fans from all over the place, not only for ravers or electronic heads,” he said.

Much like Deadmau5, Skril has used technology, embracing it in his live sets. Along with a stunning visual display, he keeps distance from the traditional dual-CDJ setup, leaning toward his Ableton and M-Audio Trigger Finger array, which allows him to mix and transition seamlessly through wildly different styles of music.

“I’m going from a 175-bpm drum and bass track to a 128-bpm electro track within a song from each other, and that’s really versatile for what I’m doing,” he explained. “I want to challenge myself more with the live show, not only in terms of great production but actually contributing to what the word ‘live’ means.”

How would you describe Skrillex’s sound? Give us your two cents in the comments below!